Montville might clean house by outsourcing

The Montville School District is seriously considering replacing part of its 41-member custodial and maintenance staff with an outside service. The goal of outsourcing these staff positions is to save the school district what the schools’ business administrator, James Tevis, estimates "conservatively" to be $450,000.

The controversial cost-cutting measure is one of many steps taken by the Montville Board of Education, which included raising subscription bus prices and creating a student activity fee, to offset the loss of more than $1 million in state aid this year.

Initially the Board had considered keeping the day staff, the custodian and maintenance workers who are in the building when the children are present, and just replacing the night crew with an outside company. The plan included keeping one school district staffer on in the evenings at each school.

However, when the requests for bids went out, three scenarios were included that focused solely on custodians. Maintenance is a separate entity, explained Tevis. Custodians are caretakers for the school facility responsible for cleaning, sanitizing and a myriad of other general duties. The maintenance staff is usually more specific skill focused.

According to Tevis one or two maintenance landscape workers could be outsourced but otherwise the maintenance department will be left intact.

The first was for pricing to replace all of the district’s custodians. The second asks for pricing with the school district retaining one day custodian of each of the district’s seven schools. The third scenario calls for the district to retain 12 of its 36 custodians.

Vickie Walsh, field representative for the local custodial union that is part of the New Jersey Education Association, is fighting locally and in Trenton to save these jobs from bring outsourced.

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Fighting the same issue in Kinnelon and Roxbury, Walsh took her case to State Sen. Joseph Pennacchio. With six custodians and one library media assistant, a 23-year district veteran who has already been downsized, by her side, Walsh visited Pennacchio’s office on Changebridge Road.

"This is very disheartening," she said, "so I wanted to put a face to the decisions being made in Trenton. I wanted the senator to understand that what’s being done in Trenton is hurting residents of his town."

Pennacchio was sympathetic, "I don’t want to see anyone lose their job," but realistic. "We have to temper this with the fact that it’s taxpayer money and we have no more money to give," he said.

The defining issue for the senator is the state formula.

"I want my kids, in my district to be treated fairly and right now that’s not happening. The people of Morris County are only getting back about 14 cents on every dollar they send to Trenton. We have to fight to keep our tax dollars local, keep them under local control," he explained.

In addition to appealing to state legislators, Walsh has begun a county-wide action plan, which included handing out flyers on back to school night.

"We were very well received," she said.

Walsh’s argument against outsourcing is two-pronged. On one hand she raises concerns about "strangers" in schools while children are present, a sentiment that has been replicated on signs visible stuck in lawns throughout the township. The flyer distributed by the Montville Township Custodial/Maintenance Association states, "We live here. We serve here. We’re known here. We care about your kids."

On the other hand she noted that there are many hidden costs and add-ons not being considered in the analysis.

"These custodians treat their schools like a second home," she said. "There have been incidents where they’ve brought in their own snow blowers to do a job. There are a lot of half-truths and misinformation out there."

Walsh also has taken issue with Edvocate School Support Solutions and the analysis that it’s done for all three of the school districts involved.

"I have the reports printed out and they’re almost identical," said Walsh. "They charged Montville $12,000, Kinnelon $6,700 and Roxbury $26,000 for the service. Then they stay on as a consultant. This is certainly profitable for Edvocate if not the school districts."